Rotary engine



A. B. SMITH.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. me.

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.A. B. SMITH.

ROTARY ENGINE. MPLlcAT-lou FILED :uw 29. 1916.

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A. B. SMI-TH..

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLlcATIoN FILED luLY 29. 191e.

Patented Aug. 16, l1921.

ANDREW UNTTTD STATES PATENT orifice.

ANDREW B. SMITH, OF CONCEPCION, CALIFORNIA.

To all 'whom t ma/ z/ concern.'

Be it known that I, ANDREW B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Concepcion, county of Santa Barbara, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, whereof the following is a speiiication.

T his invention relates to rotary steam engines.

. In its main features, the invention includes a hollow cylinder, which is divided into two parts byan interior diaphragm. This dia-y phragm serves also to connect the cylinder with the central shaft, so that the rotation of one determines the rotation of the other. The cylinder ismounted in a suitable casing and provided with a throttle valve, which serves to turn the steam on and olf, and also to direct it to one or theV other of the divisions of the cylinder. VUpon the periphery of the cylinder are secured the piston vanes. The arrangement is such that the steam coming from the throttle valve chest enters the interior of one end of thefcylinder and passes 'thence through suitable ports into the space outside the cylinder where it acts upon the pistons and, rotates the cylinder and shaft. This steam passes through other portsv into the interior of the other end of the cylinder and thence out through' suitable channels Vand through the other portion of the valve chest to the exit.

Other important features of the invention andthe details of construction will be hereinafter described and are shown in the ao-V companying vfour sheets of drawings in which I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention and in which,-

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation,

the section being taken through the aXis of the engine. f Y v Fig.r 2 is a crosssection upon .the line 2, 2, of Fig'. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. V Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section takenat right angles to Fig. 1, and through the line 3, 3, of Fig.v 2. l v

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, showing the interior of one end of the hollow cylinder for the purposeof showing the cut-off device by which theisteam is caused to act mor-e or lessv eXpan'sively, as desired. The section is taken on line 4, 4, of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrow. f

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5,- 5, of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the ar- ROTABY ENGINE.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. v16', 1921. Application led July 29,

1916. serial No. 112,140.

row, also for the purpose of showing the cutoff. Fig. 6 is an end view of the hollow cylinder. A 1 Y k Fig. 7 is an elevation partly in section of the throttle valve. Fig. 8 is a viewof one end of the same. Fig. 9 is ay cross-section ofthe same taken upon the line 9, 9, of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 10 is an yelevation of one of the rotary valves, which conne the action ofthe steamv to one side of the, piston vanes.

Fig. 11 is an end view of the same.` Fig. 12 is an elevation of one ofthe piston vanes, one-half of it being` removed to show the packing, the point of view being 4ing in the direction of the arrow, and

Fig. 13 is a cross-section of the same taken on the line 13, 13, of Fig. y12, looking in the direction of the arrow.' i

In these figures, 1 represents a kcasing which may be made in two or more parts secured together by flanges and bolts as Vat 2. In the vupper part of this casing is a valve ,chest 3, provided with a steam inlet 4, and a steam ontlet `5. The interior of this valve chest is circular, and -in it is fitted a circular throttle valve which is `controlled by the stem 6 and hand-wheel?.A This valve includes an oblique diaphragm 8, which is pro- Y cylindrical portion 10, the opening in which i at 11` may be brought by turning the handwheel 7, to register with either the port 4 of the port 5. If in register with the port 4, the steam enters through the inlet V4 into the valve chest at the end next the valve stem, and thence passes, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, through the channel 12 to the hollow cylinder. If the valve-be turned so that the portion'll registers with the pipe v5, then the channel l2'becomes an exhaust channel and the steam entering the other side' of the diaphragm through a second mutilation of the valve cylinder, enters the channel 13 and thence to the other end of the hollow cylinder. In the position shown in Fig. l, the valve occupies an intermediate position,-and the steam is shut 0H.

The drive shaft 14 of the engine is mounted in bearings 15 in the ends 16 of the casing 1.

The hollow cylinder or motor cylinder 17, as it may be termed, has at its ends rings 17 contacting members 16, and provided with packing rings 18. This cylinder 17 is divided interiorly by the diaphragm 19, which is provided with a central boss secured upon the shaft 14, so that these parts rotate together. Cylinder 17 is thus divided into two portions, which may be equal or approximately so. Assuming now, that the steam is entering through the channel 12, it enters into the left-hand end of the cylinder 17 through the port 20, and fills that end of the cylinder. From there, it passes out through a circumferential port 21, shown more particularly in Fig. 2, into the circumferential space behind the adjacent piston vane 22. In this action, the steam is confined by the rotary valve 23, which is mounted in the engine casing. This valve is in the form of a crescent, as seen in Fig. 2, and rotates to permit the passing of the piston; but when it has passed, closes the space behind it. rlhe steam actingupon the piston, fills the longitudinal space circumferential to the motor cylinder, and enters Vthe opposite end of the latter through the circumferential ports,

i' shown in dotted line 24 of Fig. 2. From this opposite end of the motor cylinder, theV steam passes through the port 25 into the channel 13, and thence outv through the exhaust pipe 5.

` i To reverse tliedirection ofv motion ofthe engine, it suflices to turn the throttle valve by means of the hand-wheel 7, so as .to reverse the direction of motion of the steam, causing it to enter channel 13 into the righthand end of the motor cylinder, and thence to the left-hand end and out through the channel 12, as already indicated. v `The rotaryvalves l23, of which there may be two, opposite to each other, are supported Vby stub shafts or trunnions 26'. Upon these trunnions, at one end, are toothed pinions 27, shown in Fig. 3, which mesh with a spur gear 23 upon the engine shaft 14C, so that the motor cylinder and the valves will have the proper synchronous movement. 1n furtherance of this result, the valve 23 and the motor cylinder 17 may bc provided with teeth or serrations 29, as seen more particularly in Fig. 2.

Y For the purpose-of economy,'and in order to use thejsteam expansively, 1 provide a cut-off arrangement which l will now describe. 30 are sliding panels which lit against the interior circumference of the motor rcylinder andserve to close the ports *21' at a Adesired intermediate point of the movement-of the piston, so Vthat the first faction ofthe steam is under full head, and Y any desired degree of itsl later action isV `underits expansive force. TheseV panels arey controlled by curved racks 31, which are engaged by pinions 32 on arbors 33. rlhe arbors extend through the ends of the casing and are controlled by handles 34. The sliding panels 30 are supported by the arms or disks 35 and 36, which may have a tubular connection 37 with each other, which tubular connection surrounds and protects the shaft 13 from the action of the steam.

By way of packing the piston vanes, they may be composed of double walls 38 mounted uponn the circumference of the motor cylinder, and embracing between them a sheet of packing material 39, which may be held in place by a pin or bolt 40, shown in Fig. 13.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be observed that 'thespace i1 ils full of steam, which has not yetbegun to exhaust, but is balanced againstthe two piston vanes in front of and beh-ind it. The space i3A is just beginning to exhaust from behind the valve 23 and' to take live steam in front of that valve, and a remnant of steam from the previous stroke still fills the valve space,

thus, to that extent, veconomizingthe steam Vtains, l here state that I Vdo not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement of the several parts, as herein set forth', as they same may be variously modified byy a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.k

That 1 claim and desire to secure by Lettersr Patent of the United States, is the following, to-wit:-

1. A rotaryv engi-ne comp-rising a casing, av hollow motor cylinder within sai'df casing, divided interiorly into two longitudinal parts by a cross diaphragm integrally formed with saidv cylinder, said parts adapted to act assteam passages.

2. Ak rotary engine, comprising, a casing, a hol-low motorl cylinder within v:said casing, divided interiorly into two longitudinal parts, one vof said parts communicating with the live steam passage and acting as a continuation thereof, and the other of said parts communicating with. the exhaust passages andl acting as a continuation thereof.-

3. A rotaryv engine comprisingl a. casing, a hollow motor cylinder withinl said casing, divided: intoy two longitudinal parts by a cross diaphragm integrally formed with said cylinder, ysaid lparts adapted, respectively, to receive live and exhaust steam, and means for directing the steam-into. one

or'other of said parts, thereby reversing its motion and the direction of motion of the engine.

4. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a hollow motor cylinder within said casing, divided into two longitudinal opposite parts mounted upon a longitudinal drive shaft and inclosed within said casing, rotary valves within said easing, piston vanes mounted upon the exterior of said motor cylinder engaging said valves and adapted to establish communications between said parts.

' 5. In a rotary engine, an inlet and an outlet located in the same plane, a rotary combined throttle and directing valve having an oblique diaphragm engaging said inlet and outlet and a mutilated hollow cylin- Yder supported and oscillated by said diaphragm.

6. In a rotary engine, a hollow motor cylinder, having ports and piston vanes upon its exterior in combination with sliding Vcut-off panels upon its interior surface, a curved rack and pinion within said cylinder engaging said rack and adapted to move said cut-ofi" panels into dierent positions of adjustment for closing said ports.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses, this 24: day of July, 1916.

ANDREW B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

O. M. HART, CLARA A. SHREEDER. 

